Country music star Garth Brooks is to keep a long-held promise when he comes out of retirement later this year.

The superstar, who has been off the road for 13 years, will return to Croke Park in Dublin for two nights in July as part of his comeback.

The US singer, originally from Oklahoma, promised during his last trip to Ireland to return when the stadium redevelopment was complete.

"Before we go back on tour in the fall of 2014, I want to challenge myself, the band, and crew. In '97, we were lucky enough to play Croke Park, the stadium was under construction. 130,000+ of some of the greatest fans in the world," he said.

"I was quoted then as saying 'When this stadium is finished, I would love to come back and try to fill it again ... this time to the brink and we're back to do just that."

Brooks's career saw him named the number one selling solo artist in US history, shifting more than 128 million albums and receiving countless industry accolades.

He will play on Friday 25 and Saturday 26 July.

Brooks retired in 2001 and moved back to Oklahoma to raise his children. Despite ending his career at its peak he has made a few select performances including in 2008 when he headlined President Barack Obama's inauguration at the Lincoln Memorial.

That year he performed five concerts in two days with the money from 83,000 ticket sales going to efforts to prevent fire catastrophes, and in December 2010 he played nine sold-out concerts in six days to raise money for flood relief efforts in Tennessee.